When it Rains
by Miraculous Marinette
Summary: She'd been so stupid! She'd known better than this! She should have waited for Chat to show up. She shouldn't have tried to do it alone. And now she was paying the price. Marichat
1. Mistakes

_Chapter one:_

 **Mistakes**

* * *

She'd been so stupid! She'd known better than this! She should have waited for Chat to show up. She shouldn't have tried to do it alone.  
And now she was paying the price.

It had started out like any other day. Marinette had just gotten out of school when she'd heard the screams. Without a thought, she'd transformed and hurried off to the sound of the disturbance.

Marinette stumbled forward, hoping that the rain that had threatened all day would hold off just a little bit longer. Just until she got home. She struggled to walk, half of her concentration focused on putting one foot in front of the other, and the other on keeping up her transformation. In the end, however, the effort of it was too great and soon she felt her transformation being ripped away from her. It was painful and harsh. Not at all gentle as it was when she chose to release it.

' _It must have been because of how desperately I was trying to hold on to it.'_

It was almost as painful as the throbbing pain in her side and it nearly brought her to her knees. She leaned against the wall of the alley she'd found herself in as she caught her breath.

A flash or red caught her eye and she just barely managed to catch Tikki as the kwami fell. "Oh Tikki, I'm so sorry," she whispered, holding the small creature carefully to her chest. As if that would help her. As if that would undo her mistakes.

Marinette gasped as she heard movement behind her and carefully, quickly, stashed Tikki away and stood as straight as she could without trembling. "Wh-who's there?" she asked, trying to keep her voice from trembling with limited success.

"Just an alley cat," said a familiar voice as a familiar face slunk out from the shadows.

"C-chat Noir! You startled me!" she said with a strained smile. "What are you doing here?"

"I was gonna investigate a disturbance but it seems Ladybug already took care of it. But then I saw you, and wondered why the lovely princess was walking down alleys by herself?"  
He cocked his head to the side, pricking up his ears as he waited for an answer.

"O-oh is that all?" she asked. "I was just heading h-home…" Her sentenced ended in a groan as she slowly moved her hand to hold her side, hoping that Chat wouldn't notice anything odd. She just wanted to get home as fast as she could. Already her world was swimming.

"Are you okay?" he asked, looking at her properly at last. How tense she was. His eyes followed the line of her arm and noticed her side looked a bit damp. _'But the rain hasn't started yet_ ,' he thought.

"I'm fine," she said through gritted teeth. She fought the urge to double over from the pain, but couldn't keep her eyes from watering. Despite her best efforts, a line of blood had started to spill between her clutching fingers.

"No you're not! What happened?!" he gasped, rushing forward when he saw the slow drip of blood. He pried her hands away from her side, ignoring her yelp of protest, to examine the gash in her stomach. "This looks bad! Like, really bad!"

"I'm fine," she insisted again, though this time her voice wavered. "Really."

"I'm taking you to the hospital, Marinette," he said firmly, moving to pick her up.

That got her hazy mind to work again, if only for a moment. She couldn't go there. Not with Tikki in her purse.  
"No! Please! Just… Take me home. No hospitals. Please. It's not as bad as it looks. I just want to go home."

He looked at her face for a long moment, examining closely as he made a decision. He let go of a long breath and looked at her glassy eyes. "Alright. Let's take you home," he conceded at last.

She relaxed in his arms, smiling a bit with relief. "Thank you," she murmured.  
She felt him hook his arm under her knees, holding her like a bride, but the last thing she remembered was the rushing of wind and the warm, strong arms that held her as she felt the first drops of rain press her into sleep.

* * *

"Princess…."

 _'Who is that? So far away…. let me sleep…'_

"Princess….!"

 _'Go away. It hurts…. Stop shaking me…'_

"Marinette!"

Her eyes snapped open to focus on a pair of bright green eyes staring down at her. She gasped and choked in surprise and curled into herself as it made her side throb.

"I'm sorry," Chat said with a frown, sounding a bit panicked. "I was worried. I didn't mean to startle you." He reached out as if to touch her but then thought better of it and let his arms drop again.

She gasped and regained her breath. "What happened?" she asked, her voice rough as she tried to focus on him.

"That's a good question, and one I expect an answer to later. But for now we need to get you taken care of."

She looked around and saw she was in her bedroom. Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled outside, shaking her windows and the roof hatch in an unsettling way.

"Princess," Chat spoke again with a sheepish grin spreading on his lips. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I need you to take off your shirt."

"Wh-what?!" she spluttered, looking at him in shock. She knew he was a flirt, but…

"I need to see that wound and patch it up."

 _oh._

"I found a first aid kit in your bathroom, but I need you to take off your shirt first. I won't look so you can keep covered up. Cat's honor." He held up a solemn hand and placed the other against his heart as she regarded him suspiciously.  
When she didn't give, his look softened. "Please, Marinette. Before it gets worse."

She regarded him for a moment longer, then gave in. It made sense. "Alright but don't look."

He bowed with a flourish and turned his back, his heels clicking together as he stood at attention. "Just let me know when I can turn around."

She watched him to make sure he wouldn't peek, then slowly, painfully, sat up and pulled her ruined shirt over her head only to hold it tight to her chest to remain as covered as she could without hindering Chat.  
"I…. it's safe…" she said in a small voice.  
Chat glanced over his shoulder to make sure before turning completely around to see a very red Marinette.

"Alright, this might sting but I've got some experience with this so just try to relax. I'll be as gentle as I can."

"Just do it," she answered, the bite in her voice more from pain and embarrassment than actually wanting to snap at him.  
He flashed her a grin and set to work cleaning and tending to her wound.  
"You're lucky," he said after a moment or two of silent work. "It's wide but not deep. It'll heal up just fine but you probably should still go to the doctor."  
"If it doesn't get better. I don't want my parents to worry."  
He smiled kindly at her and decided not to press it.

It was a very un-chat-like expression, she thought, and it caught her off guard. It wasn't cocky or flirty or anything like that.  
But then, she relented to herself, he's worried. _'I guess it makes sense…'_  
But soon, she noticed, his smile grew into a smirk that she was far more accustomed to seeing.

"Staring?" he teased, chuckling when she turned a nice apple red once more.  
"Of course not!"  
"I wouldn't blame you," he said, his smirk growing even wider. "I'm quite the CAT-ch." He made a paw with his hand to complete the pun and laughed when she rolled her eyes.  
"Yeah yeah," she said, wishing he would finish so she could put on a shirt. The room was getting uncomfortably warm and Chat being so close to her wasn't helping. And was all that touching really necessary?  
"There. That should be good," he said as he smoothed the bandages over her wound. His hands lingered on her skin a moment longer than they needed to before he pulled away from her entirely.  
His smile returned to the kind one from before and she realized he'd been distracting her from the pain while he worked. Her heart softened a little towards him for that.

"Thank you," she said, feeling suddenly shy. She was very aware that she was still half-naked, and no matter the necessity, Chat was still a handsome boy who was staring her down.  
"Of course. Anything for my princess."  
"No, Chat Noir. I mean it. Thank you. For bringing me home. For taking care of me."  
He opened his mouth to say something but was distracted by the sound of a soft beep. His transformation was running out.  
Instead of saying what he'd originally intended, he moved closer to kiss her cheek.  
"You're welcome," he whispered into her ear before pulling back.

Without quite looking at her, he crossed the room in three long strides to where the roof hatch was.  
"I'll come see you again soon to make sure you're okay," he said. "Until next time, Princess."  
He turned to give a curt wave and grinned when he found that Marinette was once again very, very red. She also, he noted, was looking absolutely anywhere but at him now.

She jumped a bit when she heard the roof hatch open and caught a glimpse of Chat Noir's tail as he rushed out into the night.  
"Good bye," she whispered, far too late for him to hear, then carefully slid back onto her pillows, eager to get more sleep.


	2. Unfortunate Timing

_Chapter 2:_

 **Unfortunate Timing**

* * *

"Really it's fine. I'm just a little under the weather and I don't want it to get worse. I can still manage the bakery while you're gone. It's not a busy time of month anyway and you've already made all the orders!"  
She looked outside as the grey clouds outside shifted. "Besides, it's still really overcast. It'll probably rain again later, so I doubt anyone will show up for a while anyway. You two enjoy the rest of your vacation," Marinette said into the phone. She listened to her dad's response and laughed lightly, ending in a little cough that she told him was because of a cold rather than because her side hurt.  
"I love you too. Happy Anniversary! Tell Mom."

She hung up and sighed gently with relief. That was done.  
"Well that's one thing taken care of. At least I won't have to worry about school for a while."  
"Are you sure you're feeling up for this?" Tikki asked, floating up to land on Marinette's shoulder. "You haven't had time to recover yet. It's dangerous!"

"I don't have a choice, Tikki," she answered with a small smile. "Marinette and Ladybug can't go missing at the same time. Especially since Chat Noir knows that Marinette is hurt."  
"I suppose… but you'll hurt yourself more if you're not careful!" Tikki protested, moving from Marinette's shoulder to look her in the eye. "And what if the rain starts up again!"  
"Then I'll just have to be careful," she said. When Tikki didn't look relieved, she sighed. "It's just a quick patrol. Nothing will happen. I'll be back before the storm. Ladybug just needs to be seen. I promise I'll be careful."  
"Well… I guess it's up to you, Marinette, but I really wish you'd reconsider."  
"Don't worry. I won't let anything that bad happen to us again. I'm just glad you were able to recover. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you, Tikki."  
The small Kwami's eyes softened and she smiled kindly at Marinette.  
"Spots on."

* * *

Lightning flashed, illuminating the sky briefly. The thunder followed soon after.  
It was absolutely the worst timing. The worst!  
She was supposed to be Lady Luck! But lately, it seemed like all that luck had turned sour.  
Ladybug raced through the streets, holding her side carefully in hopes it would keep the wound from splitting open again. That would be the last thing she needed.  
"I can't believe this… He's gonna get there before me! I gotta hurry!"  
She pushed herself to go as fast as she could, ignoring the agony the movement caused and hoping she wouldn't slip off of the rain-slicked roofs.

Of course she hadn't managed to beat the storm.

She'd run in to Chat Noir on her patrol which unusual but not unheard of in this part of town.  
"Did you see an attack?" she asked, doing her very best to seem completely healthy. Fortunately the boost of magic and the convenience of a mask hid most of her pain and her pale skin from view.  
"Aaah not today, My Lady," Chat said. "I'm on my way to visit a little princess."  
"P-princess?"  
"OH now don't be jealous, Ladybug! You're the cat's meow and I've only got eyes for you!" he said, looking delighted at the prospect of her jealousy.  
She rolled her eyes. "As if," she muttered but he ignored it.  
"You see there's a girl I know. That Marinette you had me protect once upon a time. "  
The pit in her stomach sank lower as her fears were confirmed.  
"Well it seems she needs a knight more often than we thought. She got hurt the other day and I wanted to make sure she was resting up like a good girl. I feel like she'd be prone to over-working herself."  
"A-ah but.."  
The first few drops of the promised storm that had been threatening since the last one ended a few days ago finally fell.  
"It's raining. Maybe you should go check on her after it stops?"

"Don't worry. It's only real cats that are afraid of water. I'll be fine. 'Til next time, My Lady!"  
A wave and a leap and he was gone.

* * *

She managed to get home just in time to see Chat Noir land on her roof.  
Thinking quickly, she hid around the corner to release her transformation, grateful it wasn't painful like last time.  
Taking a moment to catch her breath, she ran through the storm to enter through the front door and was surprised to find Chat waiting for her in the living room.  
"Taking a stroll through the rain?" he asked with a raised brow and and displeased expression. "I had a feeling you'd be doing something you shouldn't."

"It's not like that!" she said, searching her mind for a plausible excuse. "I had to make a delivery. My parents are on vacation and I promised to take care of the store until they got back."

"They let you manage the store alone in your condition?!" he asked incredulously.

"Well… they think I just have a cold," she explained. "I didn't tell them… I don't want them to worry for no reason."

"No reason?" he asked incredulously. Then he sighed. "Come on, Princess. Let's get you dried off and looked after. I'll be your butler this evening."  
He offered her his hand. She stared at it for a moment, then decided there was no harm in taking it. He flashed her a smile and lead her upstairs to her room.

He fussed over her, telling her to go change into something warm and dry while he got them both some towels. It wouldn't do to drip on her and make her wet all over again.  
She sighed and did as he said, changing quickly while he was in the other room.

He knocked softly and asked if it was safe to enter, doing so after she said he could.  
A quick dart of his eyes took in her pajamas and loose hair.  
To let it dry faster, he supposed, but he couldn't help but notice the small strand that clung to her face, curling to end at the corner of her lips.

He reached out with a gentle hand to brush it back safely behind her ear, his fingers trailing along her jawline as they withdrew.  
"I want to check your cut again, too," he informed her and chuckled as she turned red.

"I need to make sure you didn't open it up again and see how it's healing. "

She sighed and turned her back so she could pull her shirt over her head and cover her chest.

He was surprised at how compliant she was, but figured she must have learned her lesson last time. All the same, he drew away from her and turned to give her some privacy. He waited until the sounds of rustling had stopped and turned back to her.  
He moved closer to investigate, first aid kit in hand, and found he was right to have worried.

"Marinette…" he sighed. "You overexerted yourself."

It wasn't bad, but the wound had managed to reopen in a couple of places. The plus side was that, so far, it didn't seem to be infected. It was, however, inflamed. He made a note to get her some ice once she was all settled in and taken care of.

She didn't answer, but he noticed her shoulders slump a bit as if she were properly ashamed of herself and decided not to press the issue.  
Instead he hummed a comforting melody as he cleaned and redressed the wound.

"That's… a nice sound," she said, breaking the silence after a few minutes.

"Hmm? What? The song?"

"No… your voice…" she said.

He blinked in surprise and stared at her. Her face was red but she didn't look embarrassed. "My voice? Really?"

"Yeah," she said dreamily, her eyes half lidded. "I like it. "

Now he was more concerned that her red cheeks weren't just from being embarrassed.  
Unable to remove his gloves, he moved closer to her slowly. Putting one hand on her shoulder to gently hold her in place when she started to lean away from him, he used the other to push back her bangs.  
He pressed his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. He could feel her breath against his lips this close. She was panting softly. He could smell her quite acutely as well. It was the smell of baking and something flowery mingled with the smell of the storm that still clung to her. He could hear her heart too. Feel it rushing under the skin of her forehead. _Da dump. Da dump_.

He opened his eyes after a moment to find her staring at him, quite frozen.  
"You, Your Highness, have a fever," he said in a low voice, tapping her nose gently as he slowly drew away.

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, willing herself to relax her shoulders and her racing heart to calm. She couldn't, however, keep herself from staring at him as he moved to the door.  
"I'll get you some medicine," he said. "I'll be back soon. Just rest for now.

If she hadn't known better, she would have thought he was blushing as he all but ran out of the room.

As she settled on her pillows after pulling her shirt back on, she tried not to think about how close he'd been to her just moments ago. And how that proximity had made her heart race.

"It was just the fever…" she murmured. "That's all."


	3. Unexpected Surprises

**Chapter 3:**

 _Unexpected Surprise_

* * *

"He's been gone for a while…" Marinette said softly, looking at the door. "Do you think he's having trouble finding the medicine cabinet?" She nibbled her lip gently with worry.

"Maybe he doesn't know what to grab?" Tikki suggested from her hiding place somewhere behind Marinette's computer desk.

"I think I'd better go check on him," she decided after another moment had passed. She got up carefully, despite Tikki's protests, and made her way slowly across the room.

She'd only just made it to the door when it swung open, making her jump in surprise and clutch her side with a groan when the sudden movement made her injury throb.

Chat Noir stood blinking in the doorway, clearly just as surprised as Marinette, but quickly set down what he'd been holding to go to Marinette.

"Princess! You should be resting!" he said. Not caring about her protests, he lifted her securely into his arms and carried her back to bed. "I told you; I'm your butler this evening. Your job is to relax."

He chuckled when she looked at him with a grumpy scowl. "I was just wondering where you were. I thought you got lost."

"Aaah! My princess was worried about me!" Chat cooed teasingly, laughing when she spluttered to deny the allegation. He went back to pick up what he'd set down in favor or her, and when he turned she saw it was a tray of food, medicine, and some various supplies. There was even a small flower in a vase.  
"I'm sorry I took so long, but I thought I'd better do this properly."

There it was again. That kind look in his green eyes. That soft smile. That…

 **Look.**

She felt her face grow red again. She hoped he wouldn't notice, but judging by how smug that smile grew, she doubted that was the case.  
Either way, he graciously chose not to remark on it and sat at the edge of her bed, setting up the bed tray over her lap.

"Eat up," he said, gesturing to a bowl of soup in the middle of the tray. "The medicine says you shouldn't take it with an empty stomach. "

"Did you make it?" Marinette asked, poking the soup dubiously with the spoon.

"Bah! You wound me!" he said, looking theatrically offended, complete with some pretend swooning. "But it's from a can, if you must know."

She laughed carefully, mindful of her injury. "Then I guess it's safe."  
She smiled brilliantly at him and began to eat while he made use of the other  
supplies. He had her lift her arms up as he wrapped an ice pack to her side, hoping that it would help numb and otherwise soothe her wound.  
"Ahhh that feels nice," she said, looking pleased. He smiled at her briefly and continued his work, making sure that the ice pack was tied firmly against her side.

"There. That should do it for a little while. Tell me when it gets warm, okay?"

"Alright," she agreed and went back to her soup.

Once he was satisfied that she was properly cared for for the moment, he got off of her bed so he could draw the chair beside her instead. He watched over her as she finished her meal and took her medicine so he could remove the tray.

She thanked him gently as he left to clean up, not wanting to leave a mess for her later. By the time he returned she was fast asleep.

He approached her quietly, looking her over. Her cheeks were still a bit flushed from the fever, but her breathing was deep and even.

As he examined her face, his eyes were drawn to her mouth. He remembered that curl of hair that had stuck there. He remembered seeing them parted gently in surprise when he brushed it back with gentle claws.

He saw her in his minds eye with her back to him, hiding her chest from view with the night shirt she had removed so he could tend to her wound. He remembered pressing his forehead to hers.  
How close they'd been…. and she'd been shirtless.  
His own face exploded with red now and he was very glad that Marinette was sleeping.  
' _oh what a fool you are, Chat Noir_ ' he thought. ' _You actually did that! All of it! What must she have been thinking! You could have at least let her put her shirt back on first! And touching her face like that! She must think you're a total creep!'_

He paced a lap or two around the room, mentally screaming at himself, and decided to leave before he did any more damage. He took a deep breath and decided on one last look at the sleeping girl, just to make sure she was still okay.

"… Maybe a little longer won't hurt," he said under his breath. He went back to the chair at her bedside and sat, watching over her as she slept like he'd originally planned, while he contemplated the happenings of the evening.

* * *

Beep beep beep.

 _Beep beep beep **.**_

 _What's that? It doesn't sound like my alarm clock._

 **Beep beep beep.**

 _Why can't I ever just keep sleeping? Something always interrupts…_

 _ **Beep beep beep.**_

 _I know that sound!_

Her eyes opened wide as she shot into a sitting position. She regretted it instantly as it made her side burn but she ignored the pain for now as her watering eyes fell on Chat Noir. He was still there, sleeping hunched over as he sat in her shiny pink computer chair, his arms folded on her bed as a pillow. Marinette looked at the ring on his hand.

One pad left. He had less than a minute.

"Chat! Chat Noir! You have to wake up!" she said, shaking his shoulder frantically. "You're about to change back! Wake up you silly cat!"

A green eye opened to look at her. "Mmm?"

"Your ring!" she said, pointing to it. "You have no time left! What are you still doing here!?"

He sat up and yawned, stretching languidly like the cat that he was.  
"Oh that. It's fine," he said lazily.

"How is it fine?! I'll see! I'll know who you are!"

"Don't worry about it," he said. He winked as the room was shrouded in green light.

She turned away quickly, covering her eyes with her hands as she scrunched them shut for good measure.

"Marinette. It's okay. Really. You can look."

"Change back or leave! You shouldn't let me see!"

"No, really. It's okay. I promise!"  
He was laughing at her. That just made her more mad.

"This isn't a game, Chat!" she said.

"I know it's not. Just trust me. Look."

She took a deep breath, but decided she couldn't look away forever. She turned back with her eyes still screwed shut, then slowly peeped through her fingers.  
What she saw, however, was the last thing she expected.

Chat Noir sat in front of her, no longer transformed but still completely hidden.  
He was wearing a black hoodie with the hood over his head, and a paper mask over his eyes. She noted that the hood even had little black bumps for cat ears.  
' _really…?_ '

"Reason number two why I took so long. I thought I might stay a bit late and I wanted to be prepared for it."

She looked at him in disbelief and then let herself fall back onto her pillows, groaning a bit at the pain in her side that was now coming back full force now her panic was gone.

"That was a mean prank," said an unfamiliar voice. "You could have at least warned her."

She opened her eyes to see a small black thing on Chat Noir's shoulder. It seemed to be munching on what appeared to be cheese.  
A smell reached her noise and she grimaced. Definitely cheese.  
"You're probably right. I'm sorry, Marinette. I guess I wasn't thinking."

"It's… fine, I guess," she said. "Who… or what is this?"

"What? Very nice. You kids have no manners I swear."

"This is Plagg. He's my Kwami. Don't worry about his attitude. He's just grumpy when he's tired."

"A Kwami?" she asked, feigning ignorance.

"Yeah. He's the one who gives me my power," Chat explained with a smile. "I wouldn't be Chat Noir without him."

"Oh I see…" she said with a smile. "Well it's nice to meet you, Plagg." Marinette held out a finger to shake.  
He regarded her for a moment, then accepted it, touching his small hand to her finger.

"Likewise," he said before returning to his cheese.

"And as for why I'm still here," Chat said after watching this exchange with affectionate eyes. It was a wonder that he was able to introduce Plagg to anyone and he found he quite liked this turn of events. It was as close as he could get to revealing himself truly to her. "Well, I told you already, Princess. I'm your butler tonight. I decided to take care of you for as long as I can to make sure you're okay. I didn't want you to be alone and find out your fever got worse or you needed something and there was no one to help you." He closed his eyes and nodded assuredly, a hand under his chin, only to have his eyes fly open again when he felt gentle lips pressed against his cheek.

"Thank you, Chat Noir," Marinette said as she carefully leaned back down onto her pillows. He placed a hand on his cheek where she'd kissed it.

"A-any time," he said quietly. "But you should go back to sleep. I'm sorry I woke you."

"It's okay," she yawned, "But next time you really should give me some sort of warning. I thought I was going to have a heart attack." She smiled at him and leaned back again. With another yawn she found herself quickly falling back into a peaceful doze, her smile still on her face.

He watched her for a moment, then decided to settle back into his chair for the night.


	4. Telling Tall Tales

Chapter 4:

Telling Tall Tales

* * *

"You never told me how you got hurt, by the way."

Marinette and Chat Noir were sitting on Marinette's couch, enjoying a bit of breakfast as they watched Saturday morning cartoons on the television. Outside the storm from the previous night continued, dulling the windows to a dark, wet gray.

Marinette had woken that morning to find Chat Noir still sleeping at the foot of her bed, and decided to thank him with a bit of food. He'd came down a bit later to the smell of her cooking. The dreamy look on his face coupled with his sleep-ruffled hair made her laugh.

"You look like you're still asleep," she had commented, still chuckling. "Where's Plagg?" He grumbled and ran a hand through his messy hair, making it stick up even more, as he pointed to his hoodie's pocket.  
"Why don't you freshen up while I finish breakfast?" she asked as he approached her.

"You should be resting," he answered. His hand slid gently over hers as he took the pan from her. "I'll finish up. You just relax."

"You can cook?" she asked, her face flaring up in a blush while she offered him the spatula.

"If I have to," was the smirking reply.

And that was that.

So now Marinette shared her couch and food with a still rather ruffled looking Chat Noir.

"How I got hurt? Oh, well it's nothing too interesting." She rubbed her hand where his had touched it. She wasn't sure whether she was trying to rub away the feeling of his touch, or recall it. He'd been so gentle…

"Tell me anyway," Chat insisted, looking at her evenly with his startlingly green eyes and subsequently drawing her attention back to him.

"I was… on my way home when an akuma victim attacked," she said, thinking quickly to find a way to tell without revealing her identity as Ladybug. The girl shifted, forcing herself to let go of her hand as she continued.

"The man it controlled… he used metal to attack…"

* * *

Ladybug ran towards the sound of the disturbance. Her heart jumped to her throat when she finally arrived.  
A man stood, bearing down on another one who trembled at his feet. His laughter was cruel as he reached a grey hand into his blood-red, leather apron and pulled out a tiny drill bit. The bit grew and grew in his hand where it hovered, pointed directly at the man below him, until it was a couple of feet long and deadly sharp.

Marinette knew a person with a power like this wasn't to be taken lightly, but what could she do? She had to stop this before someone got hurt. Chat wasn't here and he was the one who was good at distracting people with talk.

Not sure what else she could do, and running out of time to decide, she threw her yo-yo. It zoomed out of her hand and knocked the deadly projectile out of the Metalique's hand. The large man turned his head to her, his purple eyes flashing with rage.  
"Well that certainly got his attention…" she muttered as he started walking towards her slowly. She took an alarmed step backwards and yelled for the previous victim to run.  
The man on the ground nodded and scrambled to do so, causing the Metalique's attention to return to him.  
"Hey there, big guy. Let's keep it on me, okay?" Ladybug said, effectively drawing the man's attention back to her.  
He advanced to her again, reaching into his apron again.  
"Not much for talking are you?" she said nervously, trying to decide if she should stand her ground or run to find Chat Noir.

She looked around desperately, hoping he would appear out of thin air as he always seemed to, but had no such luck that day.

 _'I can't run,_ ' she thought. _'He'll find a new target if I do.'_ She watched nervously as he drew out two more drill bits. Not bothering to let them grow he shot them at her like bullets. She managed to block one with her yo-yo but had to roll to dodge the other one.  
She heard cruel laughter that made her blood turn icy cold.  
 _'Find Chat Noir. Call him,'_ part of her mind urged her.  
 _'I can't,'_ she argued back. _'I don't have time. And I can't run just because I'm scared. I'm Ladybug! I can handle anything!'_

She squared her shoulders and searched her opponent for what might hold his akuma. She didn't have much time to look, however, as he threw more projectiles at her lightning fast. She didn't even manage to see what they were before they sparked against the ground behind her.  
Waiting for Chat now was no longer an option. She should have stalled more. Talked more. Did something to stall for time.

Time….  
Maybe…

"Lucky Charm!" she cried, holding her hand out as she hoped for an item that would buy her some of the time she needed.

A pole landed in her waiting palm. Other than the red color and black spots, it looked very much like Chat Noir's staff which only made her realize her mistakes further. Of course that's what she'd need. She needed Chat.  
She yelped as a new attack knocked the staff from her hand. She reached for it only to be pushed back by another projectile. She took another look at her opponent as she backed away from the staff, hoping he wouldn't shoot for a moment now that her new weapon was further from her, and noticed a small clamp hanging from his belt.  
"Not in the apron? It must be in there!"

Ladybug continued to retreat, keeping her eyes on the Metalique. Spinning her yo-yo to help stop anything that might get fired at her, she flipped back a few times.  
She needed to get a bit of distance for this.

The Metalique stalked closer to her, moving slowly despite the lightning speed of his firing attacks. His hand was raised out in front of him, at the ready to fire, but he was surprised into waiting when she finally stopped backing up to start charging him instead.  
She dodged his attacks as best she could without losing speed and reached for the pole.

Her fingers closed around it as sparks flew mere inches from her.

Ladybug leaped into the air and prayed that this pole worked like Chat's. She felt a small bit of relief fill her as the pole extend. She jammed it into the ground and let gravity help her draw back, the new length of the staff allowing flexibility, and used it to spring back at her attacker. Using the pole had given her more speed and the element of surprised as she threw herself at the Metalique. She cried out in pain as she felt something slice into her side, but didn't have time to pause. She grabbed the clamp and rolled back, pulling it apart as soon as she was upright.

A small black butterfly fluttered out of the remains, trying to make a hasty escape as she pulled the knife from her side.  
"You won't hurt anyone else, little Akuma," she said weakly. She swung her yo-yo and captured the evil creature, releasing it once it has been purified by her own magic.

"B-bye bye, Little butterfly." she said, holding her side with one hand and the pole in the other. The bright insect fluttered harmlessly back home.

Taking a deep breath, the spotted superhero threw the pole into the air.

"Miraculous Ladybug!" she cried, and let the magic fix the damage done around her.  
Unfortunately it couldn't fix the damage done TO her.

Smiling weakly at the confused looking construction worker that laid in front of her, she started to stumble away in the direction of home….

* * *

"He was going after someone in the street," Marinette explained. "I didn't want him to get hurt so I shouted without thinking and he attacked me. Then ladybug showed up and I left so I wouldn't get in the way. I don't think she realized I was hurt, but she didn't have any attention to spare on me anyway. I was just stumbling home when you found me."

Chat frowned at her as he took in her story. Something didn't quite fit about it. The puzzle pieces in his mind that should have melded neatly together clinked against each other instead.

"That was very brave of you," he said after a moment as he regarded her. "But next time you should leave it to us."

"I will, I promise. I don't know what I was thinking."

She smiled brightly at him, hoping he wouldn't ask too many more questions. She didn't think he looked quite satisfied with her version of events.

After a moment he sighed and decided not to press. "I'm gonna clean up. Why don't you put in a movie or something while I do that? We can watch it together."

He smiled his charming smile at her and she had to yet again scold her traitorous heart for fluttering in her chest.  
"What do you want? Something with explosions I'd wager. Or maybe you want something romantic instead?"  
She grinned back at him defiantly, letting him know he was teasing.  
She wasn't expecting him to rise to the taunt however.  
"Let's do romantic,' he said, grinning right back at her.  
Her face turned red again and he privately celebrated his victory.  
"Careful, Chat Noir. You don't want me getting the wrong idea and thinking this is some sort of stay-in, rainy-day date or something," she said, awkwardly trying to tease back.  
"Maybe I do," he said with a wink as he disappeared into the kitchen.  
He laughed at the strangled, embarrassed noise that came from the other room and started washing the dishes.

* * *

 _'How did this happen?'_ Chat wondered to himself as he brushed some hair out of Marinette's face.

She was fast asleep, even though the movie wasn't finished yet. He tried to focus on the flickering images in front of him but kept finding his eyes being drawn to the girl that was sleeping against him.

How had it happened?

They'd kept teasing each other. He'd enjoyed watching her face turn even more red with each taunt.

"You'd better sit closer if this is a stay-in date," he'd teased.

"Oh you're right," she teased back, scooting until they were on the same side of the couch.

She'd squeaked a little as he carefully pulled her against him, draping his arm around her shoulders.  
"Much better."

Ah so it was his own fault. That's how he'd ended up with a sleeping girl in his arms.  
What had possessed him to do it? Sure, teasing her was fun, but he'd gotten a bit carried away.

He looked at her again and sighed.

Teasing may have started it, but he couldn't deny how comfortable he was with her leaning against him, neatly tucked under his arm with her head pillowed on his shoulder.

 _'What about Ladybug?'_ his mind berated him. ' _A fine stout love it is if you're just going to cuddle up to any girl you meet.'_

 _'but it isn't just any girl. It's Marinette….'_

The storm raged on, matching the stormy turmoil in his heart as Chat Noir thought about the recent events in his life, holding the sleeping girl in his arms long after the movie ended.


	5. The Day's Distractions

_Chapter 5:_

 **The Day's Distractions**

* * *

How could he have been so oblivious? How could he have never noticed before? It was excruciating. Unbearable. Unbelievable!  
How could he possibly have been so oblivious to the **presence** that was Marinette Dupain-Cheng?

Adrien sighed as he sat in his normal spot in class. He'd had a hard time sleeping the previous night so it was with great reluctance that he'd dragged himself to school that morning.  
He'd just gotten situated and greeted Nino when he heard the classroom door open. He glanced up automatically to see who had entered only to freeze up when he saw her.  
Marinette was back and boy-howdy did Adrien know it.

Every time she sighed, or shifted, or laughed quietly with Alya, Adrien was acutely aware of it.

 _'Come on, you stupid cat. Pull it together,_ ' he scolded himself as he tried desperately to focus on his own school work. _'It's just another day. So Marinette is back. It's great that she's feeling better but this is ridiculous! It's not like you've never been in class with her before! She's sat behind you all year!'_

Eventually he couldn't stand it any longer and chanced a glance back at her.  
 _'Pale…'_ was his initial thought.  
He sneaked a few more glances throughout class and found, with a guilty little squirm of delight in his stomach, that she seemed just as distracted by her thoughts as he was. He watched her blush and got curious.  
 _'Is she thinking of me?'_ he wondered.  
He shook his head to clear it of these wayward thoughts and forced himself look away again.  
 _'Don't be stupid, Adrien. She could be thinking of anything. Why would she be blushing about Chat Noir?'_  
Still, he couldn't quite stop himself from hoping that she really was thinking of him which just made him feel more guilty.  
Was he really this fickle?

* * *

"Thank you so much! I'll get it all done right away!"  
Marinette turned to leave the classroom, having stayed a bit late to collect the homework she'd missed, to find herself face to face with none other than Adrien Agreste himself.

"H-hey there, Marinette…." he said, then cleared his throat nervously. "So… I'm glad you're feeling better. You had a…" he paused to try to remember the excuse she'd given everyone at school, "…cold, right?"

"I.. erm… uh… y-yeah. A cold," Marinette said, getting flustered as she always did. She prided herself on the small victory of making actual words this time.

"Well… uh… welcome back to school… Glad you're doing better… I already said that… ah… Just don't overdo it if you're still recovering…. I'll… see you tomorrow."

Marinette blinked after the blond boy as he left the room in a rush.

"What's up with Adrien?" Alya asked as she approached her friend. "Did you do something weird to him? He's been staring at you all day!"

"I have… no idea…" Marinette said, completely dumbfounded.

* * *

"Chat Noir! Focus!"

Shortly after school, an akuma attacked the city. Not sure if she was feeling up to it, Marinette transformed nevertheless and rushed to defend Paris once again.

She'd decided to play it safe this time and waited for Chat to show up, only to find him all but useless as he was completely distracted by something. He couldn't seem to keep his mind on the battle and they were both taking a beating for it.

Ladybug raised herself into a more upright position, having been blasted back by their opponent.

"A-ah Sorry, Ladybug! I'm on it!"

Chat charged the akuma'd victim recklessly, yelling something that she couldn't hear. The woman they were fighting raised her arm and brought it down for a harsh, discordant chord on her guitar. The sound waves blasted Chat Noir clear across the street and into a nearby building.

While Sound Off laughed, following after Chat in hopes of doing more damage, Ladybug took advantage of her distraction.  
"Now's my chance! Lucky Charm!"

She threw up her yo-yo, grabbing her throbbing side as she did so, and was rewarded with a large piece of foam.  
"Foam? Really?" she groaned. Why could it never, NEVER be direct?

She looked up with a groan.  
Somehow in the time it had taken her to use her Lucky Charm, Chat had been cornered. Sound Off stalked towards him, her hand ready on her guitar strings. She plucked them, sending little bursts of pressure at Chat and giggled cruelly when they made him yelp in pain.

Ladybug watched Sound Off's arm raise up and knew she had little time. She ran for it, tackling Chat Noir to the ground just in time as the blast of sound decimated the building that had been behind him just seconds before.  
She bit back a cry of pain as she felt her wounded side strain from the action. Though it had been closing up nicely, her cut had been nowhere near healed enough for how rough she was being with herself. She only hoped it hadn't opened yet again or she'd be in for an earful from the very boy who was causing her to be reckless.  
"CHAT! Where is your HEAD today!?" she snapped, most of her anger caused by pain, panic and worry.

She got off of him quickly, barely taking note of how ashamed he looked, and turned just in time to see Sound Off Raise her arm again for another devastating attack.

Ladybug rushed forward and just barely managed to stuff the foam into the hole behind the strings. Her vibrations stopped by the foam, Sound Off's attack failed, causing her to shriek with rage.

"Chat now! Before she takes it out!"

"You got it! Cataclysm!"

Chat rushed forward with a hand that glowed black and touched his claws to the chain that hung from Sound Off's waist.

It fell to the ground along with a small object that had been attached to it.

Ladybug barely spared a glance for the guitar pick key chain, signed by Jagged Stone, before she crushed it with her foot.

Frustrated and in pain, Ladybug caught the akuma without a word, releasing it back into the air once her magic had purified it.

She glanced at Chat with an unreadable expression, and used her magic to once again undo the damage done by the akuma.

Ignoring the woman sitting dazedly in the middle of the road for now, Ladybug approached her partner. She crouched in front of where he sat looking utterly ashamed of himself.

"What's going on with you, Chat Noir?" she asked, her voice gentle now that the battle was over.

"I… I don't know… I'm sorry. I made a mess of things…"

"Chat… Is everything okay? This isn't like you." She put a concerned hand on his shoulder but was startled as he shrugged it off.

He stood quickly and flashed her a smile without quite looking at her.  
"Everything's fine. I was just distracted today. It won't happen again I promise."

"O…kay…" Ladybug said, reluctantly letting the issue drop. "If you're sure…."

A soft beeping in her ear drew her attention to his ring. One pad left. And she wad down to one spot. They were both almost out of time.

"I'll see you later, Ladybug. I won't disappoint you again."

He took off before she could tell him that she wasn't disappointed, but rather worried.

She sighed and headed home.

"Good. No harm done," Marinette said as she examined the long scar on her side. Though it had been painful and tender, her rough afternoon hadn't managed to reopen the cut again.

She jumped as she heard a loud thud.  
"That didn't sound like thunder she said as she pulled down her shirt. Did something on her roof fall over in the wind?  
She approached her roof hatch cautiously and jumped again when she heard another sound. This time it was a soft tap tap tap.

"Princess? It's me," came a voice when she didn't open the hatch right away.  
She sighed softly with relief. It was only Chat.

"Chat Noir? What are you doing here?"  
She opened the little door to let him in. "Come in quickly and get out of the rain!"

He did as he was told, slipping nimbly into the room before she quickly closed the hatch to keep any more water from falling into her bedroom.

"Do you just enjoy dripping on my rug or something?" she teased gently as she ran to grab him a towel.

"Ah sorry," he said, accepting the cloth from her so he could try to dry himself.  
"I was… nearby and thought I'd pop in to say hi. See how you were doing. You know, make sure you were being good and not hurting yourself again."

She gave him a look but then smiled. "Well aren't you sweet?" she teased again. "But there's no need to worry. Look." She raised her shirt a bit to show the healing wound. "I'm doing just fine."

"Oh wow it's really healing nicely," Chat said, stepping closer to trace the wound with gentle fingers. Marinette shivered at his touch, making him draw his hand back. When he straightened up he found he was standing rather close to her. He couldn't bring himself to step away, and was surprised when Marinette didn't draw away from him either. The room seemed to get warmer as he looked down into her eyes. Had they always been so blue?  
Without a thought his clawed hand moved up to brush the hair out of her face lingering on her jaw once the errant strands were tucked safely behind her ear.

Marinette's breath caught in her throat as Chat Noir leaned even closer to her, his hand on her chin guiding her face closer to his.

What was he…?

But then the moment seemed to end abruptly as Chat drew away from her. He moved his hand away from her face as if the contact had burned him.

"W-well… I should go… I just wanted to drop in to see how you were doing. I'm glad you're healing up. G'bye. "

Marinette watched him run to her roof, dumbfounded for only a second before her brain caught up and she followed him outside.  
"Chat wait!" she called, just barely managing to grab his wrist before he leaped from her roof. He didn't try to break her hold, but didn't turn to look at her either.

"What's wrong?" she asked, moving her other hand to join the first one so that she held his hand in both of hers, not caring that she was getting thoroughly soaked by the rain. "I'm worried."

He looked at her at last with a small, apologetic smile. "Don't worry. There's nothing wrong."

"But you seem so… distracted," she said.

"I know.. but I'll sort everything out soon. I promise."

She looked down to watch as he placed his free hand over both of hers while they still held his other one captive.

Marinette looked up again to find him staring intensely down at her, his brilliantly green eyes lit with some strange emotion. Her face darkened with a blush and she found she couldn't hold such a gaze for long. She looked down again.

For a moment the only sound was the dull taps of rain against her roof and the gentle howl of the wind that stirred their hair and clothes.

"W-will… Will you come visit me again?" she asked quietly when she was finally able to muster up the courage to speak again.

"Do you want me to?" he asked, his voice just as quiet as hers. . Once again his hand found its way to her cheek, brushing the soft skin gently with the back of his gloved fingers before letting his hand slide down her neck to rest at the base where it met her shoulder.

She nodded meekly and managed to up at him again. "It's… lonely here all by myself. My parents are still in China, so I'll be alone until they come back at the end of the month." Her cheeks grew even warmer as she rushed out her weak excuse.

"Alright, Princess," Chat said with a chuckle. "Let's make a deal. You make me a nice, hot dinner and I'll come back tomorrow night to eat it. Sound good?"

"Deal," she said, grinning up at him. How could she pass up an offer like that?

He smiled and leaned forward. For a second she thought he was going to finish what he'd started in her room, but his lips only brushed against her flaming cheek. "Deal," he whispered into her ear.

He was gone by the time she got her wits about her and she cursed him under her breath as she went inside.


	6. Coming to Terms

_Chapter 6_

 **Coming to Terms**

* * *

"Oh, Tikki… what am I doing?"  
The small kwami flew over to the girl who was currently leaning over the kitchen counter with her head in her hands. The kitchen was a mess, covered in various ingredients and utensils.

"Um… Making dinner for Chat Noir?" Tikki answered, slightly confused by Marinette's change in demeanor. She'd been so cheerful a moment ago, humming to herself as she gathered up the supplies she'd need to make dinner. Now she just looked miserable.  
"Exactly! For Chat Noir!" Marinette said.  
"And that's a problem?" Tikki asked, landing on the counter to place a comforting hand on Marinette's arm.

"Well… It's more than.. just dinner, isn't it?"  
"How do you figure?"  
"I asked him to come back! Not because I needed him to check up on me or because I was in trouble or something, either! I just wanted to! I wanted to see him!"  
"I still don't–"  
"I'm supposed to be in love with Adrien!" the girl cried, throwing her hands in the air in desperation.  
"Oh…" the tiny creature said, realization finally coming to her. Tikki lowered back onto the counter, having flown up into the air to avoid Marinette's suddenly flailing arms.  
"I mean… of course I still love Adrien! Adrien is everything!" the girl continued. "So how can I be acting this way with Chat Noir? I mean, I know he's a great guy. I trust him with my life! And if it weren't for Adrien… but there IS Adrien so why am I acting like this? I mean at best I'm accidentally leading him on, which makes me an awful person, or worse I actually…. actually…."  
Marinette cut off her rambling abruptly and gulped, looking forlorn.  
"Like him?" Tikki suggested helpfully, prompting Marinette to give off a sort of strangled squeak. She ducked behind the counter to sit on the floor as she collected herself, taking deep, measured breaths.  
"But I can't! I can't like him!" Marinette persisted. "I know… that there's been a lot going on lately. Maybe I'm just confused because he's been so nice to me and I've been alone for a while? I mean stress can make people do silly things, right? Just because we spent…. a couple of nights together… Completely platonic nights, that is…. He was just taking care of me, and I'm only human! My defenses were down! I wasn't thinking clearly! Besides it's not like anything happened!"  
 _'that's not completely true…'_ a part of her mind protested.

"But I…. Tikki…. When I thought he was going to kiss me…"  
She took a deep breath and looked up at her kwami, her eyes swimming with overloaded emotion.  
"Tikki… I don't think I would have stopped him…"

Tikki sighed and floated down to land on Marinette's raised knees. "I still don't see what the problem is," she said evenly.  
"But–"  
"Chat Noir is a great guy, right? You've said it yourself."  
"Well yes, he is, but–"  
"And you've said if Adrien wasn't there you might have given him a chance?" Tikki interrupted again.  
"But–"  
"Well why does Adrien have to be what's holding you back?"  
"What do you mean?"  
"Think about this objectively. What would you do if you ever did get together with Adrien? You can't talk to him as it is! How would you handle being on a date with him? Do you want to spend the rest of your life in awkward, nervous silence?"  
"But-"  
"Now think about Chat Noir. Not only can you actually talk to him normally, but you have fun with him and laugh with him. You already know that he cares about you at least in some way.  
"Don't you think it's worth at least giving him a chance? You don't have to give up entirely on Adrien, but it's not betraying your feelings on him to let someone else have a chance at your heart."  
Marinette sat in silence for a long while, digesting what Tikki had said.  
"But.. I don't even know who he is," she protested weakly at last.  
"You may not know his name or his face, but I'd wager you know exactly who he is."

Marinette took a deep breath, but decided not to speak.  
 _'She does have a point…'_ she thought. _'but… I shouldn't rush into this… and I shouldn't make decisions when I'm already upset…'_

She picked Tikki up to place her gently on her shoulder and stood.  
"Well… For now… this is just dinner. To thank him… I shouldn't read into this so much, right? I can freak out about this later…"  
"Just think about what I said, okay?"  
"I will… Thanks, Tikki." Marinette held the Kwami again for a moment so she could kiss her forehead gently. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

The girl and the kwami smiled at each other affectionately for a moment, then Marinette got back to work on the dinner.

* * *

Marinette was just putting the finishing touches on the meal when she was startled by the doorbell.  
"Who could that be…?" she mused as she went to answer it.  
The young superhero was quite surprised when she found none other than Chat Noir standing at her door, once again dressed in his mask and hoodie.  
"I hope I'm not late," he said. "Getting here takes longer when I'm not in costume."  
Plagg zoomed in as Marinette stepped aside for them, getting over her shock. "Ah no! You've got perfect timing. I just finished setting everything up," Marinette said.  
"Great!" he replied as he set aside his dripping umbrella.  
"I thought it'd be nice to drip all over your floors for once," he commented when he saw her watching him. "Somehow it's always raining when I come here."  
The two of them shared a small laugh.  
"Yeah, I guess it is," she agreed. "Well come on in. Dinner's in the dining room."

She lead him away to the next room.  
"I hope you like Crepes," she said once they'd arrived.  
"Oh wow. You really went all out!" Chat said as he looked at the table full of food.  
"I hope it's not too much," she said quickly. "I just wanted to thank you for taking such good care of me!"  
"But you didn't have to go through all this trouble!"  
Marinette giggled nervously as she took a seat, gesturing for him to do the same. "Well don't get too excited. You don't even know if it tastes any good yet," she pointed out.  
"I'm sure it's wonderful," he assured her as he took a seat.  
"Is that baked Camembert I smell?" came a dreamy voice from the other room.  
Plagg slowly drifted into the dinning room to land on the table.  
"Do you like cheese?" Marinette asked.  
"Are you kidding?" Chat Noir groaned. "He can't get enough of the stuff."  
"Oh sweet Camembert," the black kwami sighed, searching the table for his favorite food.  
Marinette picked it up from the corner of the table and passed it to him. "Dig in," she said.  
"Don't mind if I do!"  
The two humans chuckled as Plagg started to inhale his beloved cheese.  
"This is amazing! You should get her to make you dinner more often," Plagg said between bites, causing both Chat's and Marinette's cheeks to light up for what seemed to be the millionth time that week.  
Chat cleared his throat awkwardly, spurring Marinette into speech.  
"Well, let's eat before it gets cold!" she said.  
Chat nodded in agreement and the two of them finally followed Plagg's lead and started to eat.

* * *

"That really was delicious," Chat said for the third time as Marinette selected a movie to watch.  
After the meal, both of them found that they weren't quite ready to part ways. After standing stiffly in the entryway for a moment, they were both saved by Plagg announcing loudly that he would like to watch something before he and Chat Noir left.  
Marinette confirmed that it was a great idea, so it was with a suspicious look at Plagg that Chat followed the girl into the living room.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," Marinette said with a laugh as she settled back into the couch.  
"Are you sure you don't want help cleaning up?"  
"I'm sure! It's not treating you to dinner if I make you work afterwards," she pointed out.  
"I suppose," he said reluctantly. "I still feel bad making you wash up alone."  
"Don't worry about it. I'll just make you cook for me next time and you can do all the dishes," she countered him as she pressed 'play' on the remote.  
He laughed. "Alright. That sounds fair."  
She leaned forward to set the remote on the coffee table and settle back onto the couch, leaning into Chat absently as she did so.  
He stiffened in surprise and sat rigidly in indecision for a bit as the movie started, but soon gave in to draping his arm casually around her shoulders as he had once before.  
He hoped she couldn't hear his heart rate pick up as she pillowed her head lazily on his chest with a soft sigh. He couldn't claim he was teasing her this time. He mulled over his feelings again as he allowed his fingertips to trace gentle patterns on her arm.

As he stared blankly ahead, pretending to watch the movie, he had to finally admit to himself that these feelings weren't platonic. He thought about acting this way with another girl, Alya perhaps, and found it laughable. Not that Alya wasn't a perfectly pleasant and attractive girl, but even putting aside the fact that she was dating his best friend, he couldn't imagine being close to her like he was with the girl currently cuddled up in his arms.  
Chat glanced down at her, taking in her features. She was so calm and content in a way that he had never known her to be as Adrien. He silently thanked Plagg, who was at this point fast asleep on the arm rest, for giving him the opportunity to get to really know this wonderful girl.

The power of his gaze must have drawn hers because after a few moments, she raised her her head. Her blue eyes locked onto his. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but seemed to think better of it and closed it again. Chat smiled gently at her as his eyes swept her face, drinking in every feature before they came to rest on her lips.  
She might have been blushing again, but he couldn't be sure because all of his attention had been taken in by those lips. He wondered if they were as soft as they looked. He had to know…  
It wasn't until he felt them brush gently against his own that he realized what he was doing.  
The contact was faint. It could barely be counted as a real kiss, but he could have sworn, even as Marinette drew away from him with red cheeks and a faint smile, that he'd felt her respond to it.  
Sure that he must look as flustered as she did, he nevertheless settled more comfortably into the couch. He wouldn't apologize for the kiss, because he honestly wasn't sorry. Still, it was a plus that she didn't seem to be that upset by it. In fact, after a moment or two, she even leaned into him again, curling up in his arms as she stared fixedly at the flickering screen in front of her.

Even though it could barely be qualified as a real kiss, it had sent a gentle heat through his blood all the way down to his toes. He found that he wanted nothing more than to feel the press of her lips again. Maybe a bit more firmly this time…

But before that could happen, there were a few more things he had to sort out.


	7. Only Slightly Ridiculous

_Chapter 7:_

 **Only Slightly Ridiculous**

* * *

The next time an akuma attacked Paris, Chat was a completely different person. His movements were quick and precise. He was no longer distracted.  
He and Ladybug moved together like a well-oiled machine and before they knew it, they'd managed to defeat their enemy in record time.

"Chat, you were amazing out there! You must be feeling better!" Ladybug said, grinning broadly at the change in her partner. She offered him their customary fist bump.

But he didn't take the offer.

Instead he smiled sweetly at her.  
"Yeah. I finally figured everything out," he said. He watched her smile falter, her expression turning to confusion as she reluctantly let her hand fall back to her side.

"What do you–"

"I love you," Chat said, cutting her off. He said it calmly, even confidently. He wasn't flustered or embarrassed. His tone was almost casual. Conversational. Like this was just a fact of life, and not a life-changing confession.

"You…" Ladybug trailed off as Chat Noir took a breath to speak again.

"Love you," he finished for her. "But I'm letting you go,"

"You're letting me… go?"

"Yeah. I feel like I can finally move on."  
He paused a moment to let this revelation sink in, then continued speaking.  
"I've loved you for a long time, and I think that a part of me always will. But you're unobtainable."  
She tried to protest but was silenced when he held up his hand in a request to keep going.  
"You don't want me, and I respect that. I respect that, whether it's because you don't share my feelings, or you just think it would be too risky, or whatever other reason you might have, that you believe we can't be together as anything more than partners, and, I hope, as friends.  
"It's dangerous, and I get that. It makes sense. If we were together, our enemies would realize it and they might try to use it against us.  
"And besides being risky, love makes things complicated, and messy, and what we have now works.  
"In all honesty, it's probably a bad idea for us to be with anyone, really. But I'm gonna try it anyway."  
He paused then, waiting for her to say something. When she only blinked at him in silent amazement, he took a deep breath and continued on.  
"There's this… wonderful… amazing girl," he said, smiling as his vision turned inwards. He could picture Marinette so perfectly in his mind's eyes, and just the thought of seeing her made his heart feel lighter. "The more I see of her, the more that I want to see. She's so smart, and funny, and just…" Chat sighed wistfully. "She's beautiful, Ladybug. Inside and out.  
"But she deserves more than half-hearted affections. You both do. I want to do this properly. I want to do right by both of you.  
"And… I… I think I might have a chance… if I play my cards right… I might just be able to win her heart in the jackpot."

"Chat… why are you telling me this?" Ladybug asked breathlessly, finding her voice at last. There was some emotion in her blue eyes that he couldn't quite put a name to.

"Because I owe you that much. Besides, I was kinda hoping for a little luck from my own personal ladybug."

That finally got her expression to change from shock to affectionate amusement.  
"Well then, kitty cat. Good Luck."  
She kissed his cheek gently and he smiled graciously back at her.

"Thanks."

* * *

Marinette returned home without knowing how she got there, so lost in her thoughts that she's paid no mind to where she was going. Releasing her transformation once she'd gotten inside, she crossed the room and let herself fall onto her bed with a heavy sigh.

"Marinette?" Tikki asked after a moment. "Marinette, what's wrong?"

"Tikki…. he likes me…" Marinette said, her voice muffled by her bed. She turned over so she was laying on her back with another sigh and pressed her arm over her eyes."Like… all of me… every bit. Me and Ladybug… He… he really likes me…"

"Is that such a shock?"

"Well no.. but… yeah…. it really is." She moved her arm away from her eyes and looked up at Tikki, biting her lower lip. "I don't know what to do… what if he comes here and… what do I do?"

"Well that depends."

"Depends on what?"

"Do you like him?"

Marinette opened her mouth to reply immediately, but then closed it to really think about her answer first.

After another moment of pensive silence, she slowly sat up and spoke again. "Yeah.. I do…." she admitted at last.

"Well then I think you know your answer."

Marinette smiled. Just like that all of the things she had been worrying about, Adrien, Chat, all of it just faded away. Instead she was filled with the revelation of her own feelings. She liked him. And he liked her.

He LIKED her! And not just Ladybug, but HER! Simple, boring Marinette! Not the superhero. The girl! He saw her for what she was and he still liked her! Maybe even…

She took a deep breath. "Okay, Marinette. Let's not get carried away. He likes you… that doesn't mean…. That doesn't mean he's in love with you or anything… But… but still….. "

Marinette didn't know what to do with herself. She wanted to call him, to talk to him, but she didn't know how to do that without being Ladybug.  
Tikki watched with amusement as her young protege paced her room muttering her options under her breath, slowly disregarding them one by one as she realized it wouldn't work.

"Well…." she finally concluded, "I guess I just have to wait for him to come to see me… What if he comes tonight! Should I dress up? No that would be weird… and suspicious, wouldn't it? Okay so no dressing up… but I need to figure out something to do…. Oh but what if he doesn't come tonight? He might be busy! Oh I can't plan like this!" She flopped onto her bed again with a frustrated sigh.

"Marinette, you don't have to DO anything," Tikki said when the girl finally came to rest. "Just be yourself. Don't worry so much about what you're going to do when you talk to him. Just let it happen and you'll know."  
Marinette took a couple deep breaths and sat up again, finally calming down.

"You're right, Tikki. I just have to wait and see how it goes."

"That's my girl," the tiny red kwami said, smiling broadly.

* * *

Hours passed and Marinette's excited anticipation slowly turned into sour boredom.  
She sighed as she finally accepted that he must not be coming that night.  
"Maybe tomorrow.." she said, trying not to feel the bitter disappointment that weighed in her stomach.  
Then, quite suddenly, there was a smart rap on the door to her roof. The sudden noise, after how wound up she'd been all afternoon, caused Marinette to jump so badly that she nearly fell out of her chair.  
"Marinette? Are you home?" Chat Noir called from outside when he didn't get an immediate response.  
"Y-Yes I'm home! You nearly scared the life out of me!"  
She glowered when she heard him laugh. "I'm sorry, Princess. I didn't meant to, promise!" she heard him say. "Look, I'll make it up to you! Why don't you come up here?"  
"Why should I do that?" she asked, crossing her arms in a huff even though he couldn't see her.  
"Pleeease?"  
"Fiiiine," she sighed, though she couldn't keep the corner of her mouth from twitching into a small smile.

She got up and preened very quickly, smoothing her hair and clothes, before making her way up stairs.  
"This had better be…. good…." she trailed off as she opened the hatch and looked around in amazement.  
There were candles scattered around her small balcony. Soft music was playing from somewhere. And there, on her wooden spool table, Chat had set up dinner. She chuckled when she noticed the takeout boxes hiding on the floor next to the table.  
Then her eyes moved to Chat himself, standing nervously on the other side of the balcony watching her take it all in, and she burst into peals of laughter. She quickly covered her mouth in a vain attempt to stifle the noise.

He quirked a smile apprehensively. "Too much?" he asked, not sure how to read her laughter.

"It's lovely," she assured him, finally stifling most of her laughter, "but you on the other hand…"  
Marinette stepped up to him and raised her hand to ruffle up his carefully combed hair. "I like you much better how you normally are," she said quietly. This close to him she could feel him gulp when she slid her hands to his neck to remove the bow tie he'd tied just above his bell. That done, her hand fell to rest on his chest instead where she thought she might be able to feel his heart beating fiercely.  
"Much better," she said after a short moment, and stepped away.

"I guess that was a bit… silly, huh?" Chat asked, his voice a bit shakier than usual.

"A little…. But I've grown to expect that from you. Anyway… what is all of this?" the girl asked, gesturing to the delightfully corny, yet still lovely and romantic scene he'd created for her.

"I just wanted to spend some time with my princess," Chat said, his grin growing more confident now that she had stopped laughing at him. "And since it's not raining for once, I thought it might be nice to spend the evening outside."

Marinette felt her heart jump at this and she smiled even more brightly at him. "Well how sweet," she teased gently. "I'm touched."

"I.. uh… hope you like Chinese," he said looking bashful again. "They were the only place still open."

That got her laughing again. "It looks delicious," she assured him. "But maybe we should eat it before it gets cold?"

He agreed happily and together they sat down at her little table.

* * *

"Marinette? Are you still awake?"

"Mmm…? Yeah, I'm awake…."

The two of them sat together, leaning against the side of Marinette's house and wrapped in a shared blanket. The girl in question was currently leaning against a de-transformed Chat Noir, though his substitute mask was still firmly in place.

"Marinette, I–"

"Oh no!" Chat was cut off as Marinette leaned forward, looking distressed.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"There's another storm coming!" she said, pointing to the clouds that were moving rather quickly towards them. "More rain!"

Chat chuckled. "That's okay. I seem to have good luck when it rain lately," he said.

She looked at him to retort but her voice died in her throat when she saw how close to her he was. Chat had leaned forward while she was distracted by the oncoming weather and now he mere inches away. He raised his hand to brush the back of his fingers against her cheek. His fingertips traced her jaw, then brushed gently against her lips before his hand came to rest with his warm palm pressed gently against her neck.  
"I won't if you tell me not to," he said in a low voice, his warm breath teasing her lips just as his fingers had mere seconds before.  
He watched her eyes close and sighed when he felt her press her lips firmly against his.

 _Finally…_

The kiss was slow and timid. Neither of them were willing to risk breaking the fragile spell that they had managed to cast over this perfect evening.

When it ended, all they could do was look at each other and smile.

"Wow," Chat said after a moment, still grinning.  
Marinette giggled quietly and kissed him again, less timid this time. This time she was the one to sigh as she felt his hand cup the back of her skull. He let her take the lead with the kiss, happy to respond to whatever she wanted to give him.

It wasn't until they felt the first drops of cold rain that they finally parted from each other again. Together the young couple looked up at the offending water and laughed despite it.

"I guess that's my cue, huh?" Chat said reluctantly.

"I guess so…" the equally reluctant Marinette responded.

Chat stood up, offering her a hand to help her to do the same. She took the offered help, but didn't let go of his hand even after she was up. Lacing their fingers together, she could pull him down for another kiss.

"Marinette," he said, his voice playfully scolding as he withdrew from the kiss.  
She pulled him back in for another kiss.

"You're trying to distract me."

Another.

"Is it working?"

And another.

"Yes."

Chat slid his strong arms around her waist, prompting her to wrap her securely around his neck, as his lips descended on hers in fiery kiss. This time he was the one to take the lead, and she felt her knees go weak as he kissed her in a way she'd never been kissed before.

"It's… a good thing you're holding me up," Marinette admitted dazedly when his lips finally released hers, only to flick his nose in response to his cocky smile.  
"Oh shut up."

He laughed and kissed her quickly again. "I do have to go though," he said.

"Alright… but only if you promise to come back to see me soon."

"I promise."

Chat smiled as he finally pulled away. "Plagg, Claws out!"

The kwami zoomed into Chat Noir's ring from wherever it was that he'd been hiding to give the two of them their privacy.

One last kiss and Chat was gone leaving a completely smitten Marinette behind in the rain.


	8. Date Night

_Chapter 8:_

 **Date Night**

* * *

"Okay, spill it."

"Spill what?" Marinette asked, blinking stupidly at the brunette in front of her.

"You've been acting weird lately! Like, more than usual!" Alya elaborated. "Something must have happened, so spill!"

"Nothing… happened," Marinette lied unconvincingly. "Same ol' same ol'."

Alya gave her a look that clearly said she didn't believe her. "Oh really? Well then explain this to me; You talked to Adrien twice today, and you barely stuttered! And they were, like, actual conversations, too! In fact, you've been acting almost normal around him all week!"

"O-oh…r-really? I must just be.. er… getting better at acting normal around him! That's all!"

"Hmmm….." Alya hummed thoughtfully. She put a hand to her chin and carefully inspected her friend's face. "Is that really all? You swear?"

"I promise that's all!" Marinette said, holding her hand in the hair as if swearing in front of a judge. She tryed to ignore that niggling guilty feeling she always felt when she had to lie to Alya. "Really! I mean, think about it! I can't be all crazy around him forever, can I? I mean I've got to adjust eventually, right? Maybe eventually is finally happening!"

"I guess…" Alya finally conceded. "Well… in that case, I'm happy for you! Keep that up and he might even like you back!" She winked.

"Ahah.. yeah.. wouldn't that be something…" Marinette said, adopting what she hoped was a dreamy smile.

The reaction seemed to satisfy Alya for the time being, because the bespectacled girl let the matter drop, opting to talk instead about the updates she'd made to her LadyBlog.

Marinette listened for a while, but eventually tuned out, lost in her own thoughts of Adrien and Chat Noir.

She couldn't say she regretted her choice in Chat Noir, but it was curious how easily she was able to act so normal around Adrien now. Alright, so she wasn't exactly 100% smooth criminal, but she didn't act like a malfunctioning robot, either.

 _'Is it really that easy?'_ she thought. _'Am I able to switch my affections so completely like that? Or is it just that Chat is…."_

She blushed, not letting herself continue that train of thought lest it reach into dangerous territory.

 _'But then… maybe I really am just getting used to talking to Adrien. He has been talking to me a lot more often lately so it's not so much of a shock when it happens any more….. I wonder why he IS talking to me so much lately. Maybe it's because Alya and Nino are dating… Yeah, that must be it. That way neither of us feels so much like a 3rd or 4th wheel when we all hang out.'_

"Are you listening?"

"Oh, sorry… I'm listening now."

* * *

"Hey, Chat Noooiiir?" Marinette asked lazily. She shifted her head in his lap to look up at him.

He stopped petting her hair momentarily to hum inquiringly down at her. "Hmm?"

"We should go on a date. I mean, I know we can't really go OUT anywhere, but… I thought we could still do it here," the girl said very quickly, averting her eyes.

"So… basically do what we've been doing but dressed up?" Chat asked, amused.

"Ah… never mind. It's stupid…" She said, turning away from him again.

Her face was guided back up by a gentle hand and she looked back up at a smiling Chat.

"I think it's a wonderful idea. I'd love to see my princess all dressed up."

"Really?" she asked, excited again now that she knew he didn't hate the idea.

"Yeah! Let's do it! How about next time I come over?" he suggested.

"Alright," Marinette agreed with a smile. "It's a date."  
She giggled excitedly, but was cut off when Chat pulled her up for a kiss.

Just like before, Marinette felt the kiss sweep through her, effectively turning her bones into jello.

"I can't wait," Chat breathed against her lips in a low voice. Marinette felt a tingle run down her spine at his tone and pressed her lips firmly against his again.

"You guys are missing the movie," Plagg reminded them from his spot on the arm rest. "If you're not going to watch it can you at least take your hormones into the next room? I'm trying to watch."

The two teenagers sprang apart, both very red in the face as they muttered apologies.

"You could have just ignored us," Chat said, glowering at his kwami.

"You try to ignore someone who's making out right next to you! There's not enough Camembert in the world to make me put up with that!"

"Sorry, Plagg. It won't happen again," Marinette said.

"Now that's a lie," Chat said with a devious smirk. He moved in to kiss her again but ended up kissing the couch instead when she jumped nimbly out of the way.

"Ah-ah, Kitty-cat! A promise is a promise!" she said teasingly. Marinette backed away slowly, keeping her eyes on Chat as he slowly crawled closer to her over the couch.

She squealed and turned to run away when he suddenly sprang at her, grinning from ear to ear.

"Come here you!" he called as he chased after her.

The house was filled with the sounds of their laughter as they ran through the house.

"Kids these days," Plagg sighed as he floated onto the now vacant middle seat of the couch and kept watching his movie.

* * *

"Is it too much?" Marinette asked Tikki a few days later as she examined herself in the mirror.

Date night had finally arrived and Marinette had been fretting about it all day. She twisted to see the back of her powder-blue dress, examining the white straps that crossed her back for the 100th time to make sure they were still laying flat. She plucked nervously at the bow that rested at the small of her back and turned front again.

"You look lovely, Marinette," Tikki assured her again. "But maybe you should wear your hair down."

Marinette looked at the small, red creature with alarm. "Why? Does it look bad?" she asked, gingerly touching the side of her bun.

"No! Not at all! It's just.." Tikki trailed off, smirking in an rather chat-like way.

"Just what?"

"Well I saw how he looked at you the last time he saw you with your hair down," she answered with a wink, laughing when Marinette covered her face to hide her embarrassment.

"Oh, Tikki! You've made me smudge my make-up!" Marinette complained before running off into the bathroom, her lace-trimmed skirt swishing around her calves as she went.

"Don't blame me for that!" Tikki called after her, still laughing lightly to herself.  
The Kwami couldn't help but grin when Marinette emerged again from the  
bathroom.

Her hair was down.

"Not. A. Word, Tikki."

"My lips are sealed."

* * *

"I look too much like Adrien."

"You ARE Adrien," Plagg pointed out.

"Yeah, but Marinette doesn't know that, does she? Don't want to let the chat out of the bag now, do we?"

"Speaking of that, are you ever gonna tell her?" Plagg asked.

"Tell her what?" Chat Noir asked distractedly as he deliberately messed up his carefully combed hair.

"That you're Adrien, of course!" Plagg sighed impatiently.

"I… hadn't really thought of that…" the boy admitted with a frown.

"Well, you can't exactly expect to take this relationship very far as Chat Noir, can you?"

"That's… true, I guess…."

"Unless you want to break up with her," the kwami said in an offhanded kind of way. "Then you can swoop in as Adrien to pick up the pieces."

"That's terrible!"

"Hey, it was just a thought!"

"Well keep those thoughts to yourself next time. I could never hurt her like that!"

"Well what are you going to do that?" Plagg asked, crossing his tiny arms in a huff from being scolded.

"I… I don't know yet… We'll just have to figure that out later. For now I just have to concentrate on our date tonight."

Adrien selected a new sports jacket and pulled it on, looking in the mirror. He quickly pulled it off in favor of a dark green blazer instead.

"If you don't stop primping and pick an outfit already, you're going to miss your date," Plagg pointed out as Adrien changed into yet another blazer, still moody from the earlier scolding.

"Crap! You're right! This'll have to do! Claws out!"

With a yelp of protest, the kwami was sucked into Adrien's ring. A moment later and the boy was gone, off to see his girlfriend at last.

* * *

"Tikki! It's him! He's here! What do I do?!"

"… Well you could start by answering the door maybe?" Tikki provided helpfully.

"Oh, right… uh… you'd better hide!"

Tikki flew off somewhere secret to hide as Marinette went to the door. She quickly smoothed out her skirt one last time before taking a deep breath and opening the door.

She was greeted by a completely star-struck Chat Noir, looking very smart in his light grey blazer and black jeans.

A bouquet of roses was held limply in his hands. He almost dropped them before he returned to his senses and shoved them awkwardly into her face. "For you! They're lovely! I mean, you're lovely!"

Marinette laughed once she got over the shock of having flowers pushed into her face and took them gently out of his hands.

"Thank you," she said, stepping aside to let him in. "They smell wonderful," she added once he was inside. She went up onto her tip-toes to kiss his cheek below his mask before heading to the kitchen to find a vase for them.

Chat followed after her, drinking in the sight of her, from her white, open-toe kitten heals to the hair that hung loose around her shoulders.

"You really do look wonderful," he said.

"It's not too much? I was worried there was too much lace," Marinette said, tucking some hair behind her ear as she looked at the floor.

"You made this?" Chat asked, surprised.

"Y-yes?"

"That's… amazing! You're amazing!" he said loudly, clearly impressed. He coughed a bit as if to cover up how loud he'd been. "But ah, no. The lace is perfect. Not too much at all!"

She smiled. "Thanks," she said, not quite sure how else to respond to such an eager reply. She turned away again to finish filling the vase she'd found with water.

"This will be a perfect centerpiece," she said, burying her face in the roses to smell them again.

Chat grinned and offered her his arm. "Well then. Shall we?"

"Merci beaucoup, monsieur!"

" Je vous en prie, ma cherie!"

Marinette accepted his offered arm and he lead her to the dining room where dinner was waiting.

Chat left her briefly to put the flowers on the table and to pull out her chair for her before moving to the other side of the table to sit himself. "Next time I'll have to make you dinner instead."

"I look forward to it. Even if it ends up being more take-out," she teased.

"I'll actually cook next time! I promise!"

"Sure sure."

They shared another laugh and then started to eat.

* * *

After dinner, the young couple decided to sit together on the roof for a bit to watch the sun slowly set.

"I'm glad we decided to do this," Marinette sighed as she snuggled into her masked boyfriend. He traced her bare arm gently with his fingertips, making her hum softly in happiness.

"Me too," he agreed, continuing to trace invisible patterns on her skin. After a few more moments, however, his thoughts distracted him and his fingers stilled.

"Say, Marinette… I've been thinking…"

"Oh? Don't do that too much or you'll hurt yourself," she teased, grinning up at him.

"Oh haha. But seriously…" he looked at her. "I've been meaning to tell you–"

He was cut off by the sound of a scream in the distance. The two of them sat up quickly, all four eyes trained in the direction of the scream.

"I'm sorry," he said. "But it looks like I'll have to cut our date short. I'll make it up to you, I promise!"

He moved to the balcony, calling for Plagg to transform him.

Marinette shielded her eyes against the flash of green, but then quickly ran forward to stop Chat before he could leave.

"Stay safe," she said when he looked at her curiously.

He smiled. "Thanks."

She pulled him close for a brief kiss, then let him go. "Go get 'em."

He grinned and leaped lightly into the air, using his pole to move swiftly out of sight.

"Well, I can't let him have ALL the fun," Marinette said.

"Tikki! Spots on!"

Ladybug ran off into the city as the evening was darkened by grey clouds.


	9. A New Perspective

_Chapter 9_

 **A New Perspective**

* * *

Everything had gone wrong.

"Marinette... Marinette let's go home..." Tikki said, floating in front of the wet girl with the ruined dress. "Please. Let's get out of this rain."

"It doesn't matter," Marinette sobbed, her voice muffled by her hands as she cried into them. She made no move to stand up, even as the small kwami tried to tug at her to do so. She just didn't have it in her to move, even though the rain kept pouring down on her. She didn't want to go home, and she had nowhere else to go. She didn't want Alya to see her like this and she wouldn't know how to explain it anyway.

"Oh Marinette..." Tikki sighed softly. She stopped trying to get Marinette to move and instead nuzzled up against her neck. "It'll be okay. You'll see."

* * *

 **~*~Earlier~*~**

"Ladybug!" Chat called desperately as he felt his way through the hall of mirrors. He'd arrived first at the source of the screaming and had managed to stall the akuma victim long enough for Ladybug to show up not long after him. The only problem was that they'd barely managed to say a word to each other before they'd found themselves completely trapped in a hall of mirrors, unable to hear or see each other. He kept seeing shadows and flickers of movement, but when he turned they were gone. He couldn't tell what direction they'd come from and any attempts to chase after them ended in him getting more lost. All he'd managed to get were vague impressions of his attacker. He was tall. He had flashy make up on. Bright colored hair. Was it purple? No maybe pink? It didn't matter. He needed to find...

But wait! There! Was that? Yes! A flash of red!

He saw her slide to the left and ran to catch up with her only to find another mirror in his path. He growled loudly in frustration and punched the offending mirror, making the glass splinter and shatter in a spiraling formation away from his fist.

He heard taunting laughter as he rubbed his fist tenderly and whipped around to see the Illusionist standing right in front of him. Chat Noir got a good look at him at last. The illusionist was tall indeed. At least 6'4", with startlingly flashy make up. Like an over the top stage magician. His hair, floofed in an honestly quite impressive pompadour, was quite definitely pink, though it did have a purple sheen to it which may have caused his confusion. The red he'd seen must have been from his red sequin vest.

In Chat's frustration, he lashed out at the man only to hit yet another mirror. He watched the Illusionist turn slide off to move behind him again. But no! He was to the left now! Or was it the right?

That's when he heard a scream that seemed to cut off quite suddenly at the end.

"Enough of this! Cataclysm!"

A familiar black aura of concentrated destructive force surrounded his hand. He pressed that hand to the glass in front of him and watched the mirror rot and shatter into dust. Then the one next to it shattered. Then the other in a chain reaction that soon destroyed the entire hall of mirrors, just as he'd hoped.

He didn't have much time to celebrate his victory, however, when he realized what he was now able to see without he mirrors blocking his path.

It was Hawkmoth, revealing himself at last. And he was holding a struggling Ladybug by her neck.

Her eyes looked at him pleadingly as she gasped for what little breath she could manage to get past the vice like grip on her throat. Her mouth worked desperately as if she were trying to talk but couldn't manage to get enough air.

"Let her go!"

"Oh I will in just a minute," Hawkmoth said calmly. "There's a little something I need first."

Chat started to charge in a mad panic when he saw Hawkmoth's hand raise toward Ladybug's earrings but was blocked by the Illusionist.

"Now now, don't forget about me!" he said with a showy pout. "The show has barely started! You can't be rushing to the finale so quickly!"

"I don't have time for this! Out of my way!" Chat said, kicking at the Illusionist who simply laughed and dodged away with a flashy puff of smoke.  
Chat coughed, waving the offending smoke away from his sensitive nose.

"Please no!" he heard Ladybug shriek. He saw her struggling fruitlessly to free herself through the last dregs of smoke as her earrings were being all but ripped from her ears. There was a blinding flash of red and the sound of victorious laughter. When it cleared, Chat saw a girl with a very familiar looking blue dress laying in a heap on the ground, her loose hair covering her face and hiding it from view.

Hawkmoth stood behind her, laughing at his victory as he held earrings in one hand and a small struggling Kwami in the other.

"At last! Your miraculous is mine! Don't worry. I'll put it to good use." the villain said cruelly, laughing some more.

Chat felt a strange emotion in the pit of his stomach when he saw Marinette curled up on the ground, trying desperately to hide herself as much as possible, but decided he'd have to process that later. He rushed Hawkmoth again, this time moving too quickly for the Illusionist to stop him. He wasn't even slowed when more noxious smelling smoke burst in front of him.

He elongated his staff and swung it, full force, at Hawkmoth, catching the celebrating villain in the stomach. He went flying, causing him to drop the earrings he'd fought so hard for. Once he landed, realizing that he no longer had control over her, the red Kwami bit the one that held her making him curse and drop her as well.

Careful to keep her hair hiding her face, Marinette crawled as quickly as she could to her fallen earrings. Chat was faster. He picked them up and held them out to her. She took them without looking up and put them carefully in her now rather sore ears.

"Tikki... spots on," she said softly, letting herself transform again.

She stood up, her shoulders sagging as if she were holding up a great weight. She didn't have much energy left after having her miraculous stolen, but her expression was determined.

Chat frowned as the strange feeling in his stomach only grew stronger. His relief at her well-being was shadowed by it. It got even worse when Ladybug- No. Marinette refused to look at him in the eye.

Still they had a job to do.

"Use your Lucky Charm," he said, his voice sounding rather cold even to his own ears.

She flinched a little and nodded, doing as she was told.

"Lucky Charm!" she cried with an effort. Once again Chat was blinded by light. He was seriously starting to get tired of not being able to see. When the light cleared he saw Ladybug blinking at the strip of spotted fabric that landed in her awaiting hands. "Cloth?" she asked, puzzled.

She looked around in that calculating look that was so familiar to him and seemed to figure something out. As he watched her he wondered how he could have never noticed who she was. The way she looked around. The way she moved. The way she scrunched her mouth in thought.

"Chat, can you distract him?" she asked, sounding more timid than she'd ever been before with him. At least as at Chat Noir.

"Yeah." was the short answer he gave before running off to do his part.

It was a bit of a struggle but after a few moments they managed to get a blindfold around the Illusionist's eyes. All the various items he'd created around them flickered out of existence, leaving only the struggling Akuma'd victim and Hawkmoth to deal with.

Leaving the Illusionist to struggle with the bit of cloth around his eyes, which seemed to be much harder to remove than a blindfold had any right to be, Chat and Ladybug charged Hawkmoth together.

This time Ladybug was the distraction as she flipped and kicked at him, slowly making him back up right into Chat's waiting arms.  
Chat used his staff to hold him fast while Ladybug ripped the brooch from him.  
"It's over, Hawkmoth," Chat said. But Ladybug just blinked at the miraculous in her hand, seeming puzzled.

"But this is..."

"What are you doing?!" he asked as she crushed the brooch in her hand and watched in amazement as it turned into a pair of joker playing cards.

"It wasn't a miraculous," she said as two butterflies flew out of the two cards as she tore them in half. The person in his arms and the blindfolded one beside them both returned to their normal state.  
"Twins," she said before capturing both the akumas in her yo-yo. "That's why they kept confusing us. They kept switching places."

"I guess Hawkmoth was never here to begin with."

"It was all just a trick," Ladybug agreed.

"Yes, well... you would know all about tricks wouldn't you?" Chat asked. He'd identified what that feeling was now. That strange emotion that had been growing sloly in his stomach, rising up to his heart. Bitterness. He felt his heart sinking in his chest with the weight of it as all that had been going on the past few weeks finally caught up with him. The pieces of the puzzle that had been clinking into each other finally fit together neatly in his mind.  
Marinette was Ladybug.

Of course she was.

"W-what do you mean?" the girl in question asked, clearly taken aback.

"Was it fun messing with me like that?" Chat asked. His voice was colder than he'd expected, but he found that he didn't want to apologize for it.

"Messing with you? I wasn't-"

"You don't have to lie anymore, Marinette," he said. She flinched. "You must have had a grand time of it when I confessed to you, huh?" he snapped.

"Chat it wasn't like that!" Ladybug insisted, reaching out to him.

Thunder crashed over them and rain once again started to fall over Paris.

Chat stepped back away from her, not letting her touch him. "Oh? Wasn't it? Then what was it like? You must have just felt sorry for me, huh? Is that what it was? When I came to you as Ladybug saying that there was a girl I liked who turned out to be you. You probably couldn't bring yourself to reject me again, right? Poor little rejected Chat Noir. Well thanks for the pity date. How long were you gonna suffer with pretending to date me before you broke it off? Another week?"

Part of him wondered where all this anger and bitterness was coming from. Perhaps it was because all along he'd thought it was too good to be true. There was always a catch. Always something to complicate everything. Nothing ever really went the way he wanted it to. Maybe this fear had been festering in his subconscious for a while and had finally come to a head.

Either way, he couldn't believe that she really felt anything for him as Marinette when she hadn't shown any signs of it as Ladybug. If she'd really cared for him it wouldn't have mattered. He was convinced of that and the pain in his heart wouldn't let him think anything else.

"Chat Noir please! Let... Let me explain!" she said, reaching for him again as tears welled up in her blue eyes. She reached for him again and managed to touch his shoulder before he knocked her hand away.

"I don't want to hear it."

"Chat Noir, I wanted to tell you! I did!"

"I said I don't want to hear it!" he yelled. He felt a twinge of guilt twist in with his hurt when he saw her flinch again looking like he'd slapped her in the face.

He opened his mouth to say something. What? Apologize? Or yell at her again? He hadn't decided yet, but either way he was cut off by the sound of his ring beeping. Somehow he hadn't noticed it yet, but he was already on his last pad.

"I've got to go," he said, turning away from her.

"Chat please," she pleaded. He heard the sound of her detransforming behind him, but resisted the urge to turn. He didn't think he could keep his resolve if he saw Marinette. It was hard enough with Ladybug and he didn't want to be manipulated anymore.

He didn't say anything else as he started to leave, but he heard her sobbing that she was sorry.

In no time at all he was just a dot in the distance.

Then he was gone.

Marinette fell to her knees, water splashing mud up her slightly torn dress. She didn't care. It didn't matter then. All that mattered was that broken-hearted look in Chat's eyes. He truly believed she'd been faking this whole time. That thought alone broke hear heart.

If only she'd been able to explain.

But would he have believed her?

She sobbed into her hands as Tikki tried to comfort her without success.

"It's over now..."


	10. Finally a Sunny Day

It was a very long time before Tikki convinced Marinette to go home at last, though the walk itself was a bit of a blur. She tried desperately to concentrate only on getting home, on putting one foot in front of the other, but her mind seemed to want to drift away.

Marinette was startled when she looked up and found herself in the very alley that had started all of this.

 _Wh-who's there?_

 _Just an alley cat._

She forced herself to look away and keep moving.

 _I love you._

The words echoed in her mind as if placed there to torture her.

 _But I'm letting you go._

No. Don't let me go. I don't want you to leave. Please.

 _There's this... wonderful... amazing girl._

You were wrong. You're so wrong...

 _I want to do this properly. I want to do right by both of you._

Marinette seemed to quite suddenly find herself looking at her house's familiar front door. It took her a moment to convince herself to enter it; she didn't want to see the remnants of the date that now seemed to be from so long ago.  
Eventually, however, she did manage to force herself to open the door and enter, though she refused to look anywhere but the floor as she went straight up to her room.

She wanted to go straight to sleep immediately but Tikki insisted that she dry herself off properly first so she wouldn't get sick. Marinette reluctantly complied, deciding not to mention that she couldn't care less if she got sick.  
As she dried off and changed, the small red kwami struggled carry up some cookies for her to eat.  
"These will help you feel better," she claimed.  
Marinette picked one up and started to nibble, staring at nothing in particular.

"I really screwed up, Tikki..." she said finally after a long, drawn out moment of silence

"No... Marinette... You didn't do anything wrong. It was a tricky situation and... And I encouraged it. I'm so sorry Marinette."

"It wasn't your fault Tikki. It was my decisions that brought us here." the young heroine said, her voice dull and flat now, despite the tears that had started to trail down her cheeks again.

"Marinette-"

"I'm sorry... I... I just want to get some sleep..."

"I... Alright. Get some rest. I'll be here for you when you wake up."

"Yeah..."

"Sweet dreams."

"Yeah..."

* * *

Getting ready the following morning was one of the hardest things Marinette had ever done. She forced herself to sit up. Standing was another struggle. One foot forward, then the other.

Though she hovered around with a worried expression on her tiny red face, Tikki didn't say anything to Marinette as the young heroine finally cleaned up the aftermath of the ruined date, for which Marinette was grateful. She just didn't have it in her to talk as she cleared away the dirty dishes and disposed of the leftover food. She knew she'd have to save up her energy for school.

"I'll have to pretend nothing is wrong," she told reflection as she brushed her hair. "It'll be easy. Just smile and no one has to know."

It took her a few tries with her shaky hands, but Marinette eventually managed to tie her hair into her trademark pigtails. She tried out a smiled at her reflection. If you ignored the bags under her eyes from a troubled sleep she almost looked normal.

"Well. Here goes nothing."

* * *

"So, what are you going to do, Adrien?" Plagg asked as he watched the blond boy brushing his teeth.

Adrien gave him a look, then spit out his mouth-full of toothpaste. "About what?" he asked in a tone that would be a bit sharp if it weren't for the minty foam left in his mouth.

Plagg met that look with one of his own. "You _know_ what," he said, not taking that bait. For once he wanted to talk seriously.

Adrien held the tiny cat's gaze for a moment longer, then looked away. "I don't have to _do_ anything."

"I know you're upset, but you as Adrien have no reason to be mad at her," Plagg pointed out. "As far as she knows, you have no idea anything has happened at all."

If Adrien heard he showed no signs of it as he left the room.

Plagg sighed and followed. He could only hope that this would turn out for the best.

* * *

It had started out so well. She'd managed to smile and greet Alya warmly. She'd given Chloé the perfect sneer. Perfect. No one needed to know.

Everything went smoothly until lunch.

"Hiya Adrie...n.." She trailed off as the boy she was greeting ignored her completely, walking past her as if she weren't even there.

Marinette let the hand she'd raised in greeting fall slowly back to her side.

Was he mad at her?

"Must not have heard you," Alya said, having borne witness to it all. Still, Alya frowned a bit as Adrien continued to chat with her boyfriend, not sparing either of them a glance, and sat down. "Let's go and sit with them," she said when Marinette still looked skeptical. "That'll prove it." She grabbed Marinette's arm and tugged her gently in the direction of the table, but frowned again when Marinette pulled gently but firmly out of her grip.

"N-nah that's alright. You go on ahead. I just remembered something I gotta do at home real quick. I'll see you at class."

"You want me to come with you?" Alya asked.

"No that's alright. You just go spend time with your boyfriend."

"Are you sure? I really don't mind."

"I'm sure."

"Alright. See you in class."

Marinette let her gaze linger for a moment on Adrien as he sat down with Nino, looking anywhere but her.  
Was she imagining it? Maybe...

It wasn't until the end of the school day that Marinette got her definite answer.

"Adrien! Lovely day out, isn't it?" Marinette said, trying one more to start a conversation with Adrien as he passed her by.

Once more he ignored her.

"A-Adrien!" she said, following after him this time.

"Do you need something, Marinette?" he said, addressing her at last.

"Wh-what? No, I was just trying to-"

"Then please stop following me. I'm in a hurry." he said, his tone cold.

Cold enough that it stopped her in her tracks.

"Ah... right... Of course you are... I'm sorry..." she said meekly. "I'll... see you around then."

"Wait." Adrien dug in his bag for something. "This is yours."

He watched her brighten briefly only to see her expression crumble as she saw what it was he was giving back to her.

Marinette opened her hand to take the item back. She reached out for it, but Adrien dropped it before she could touch him.

"Oh.. Um..." she bent down to scoop up the lucky charm she'd given him so long ago from the ground. "Thanks.."

It wasn't until after she'd already run off that a shard of guilt wedged its way through his anger.

"You shouldn't have done that," Plagg said quietly, peeping out from his jacket.

"I know... I shouldn't have..."

He turned away from the heartbroken girl and got into the car waiting for him.

"After all the rain... funny how it's finally clear now..."


	11. Author's Note

HEY GUYS

I AM GOING TO THIS WEEKEND RE-READ MY STORY TO REFRESH MYSELF AND START WRITING THAT NEW CHAPTER I KEEP TALKING ABOUT.

SORRY I'VE BEEN SO SLOW IN UPDATING! BUT A COUPLE PEOPLE HAVE LEFT ME SOME REALLY NICE COMMENTS AND IT'S INSPIRED ME TO KEEP GOING!

KEEP POSTED I HOPE TO HAVE A CHAPTER OUT BY THE END OF THE WEEK!

THANKS GUYS!

-KONNEI


	12. Oops Sorry guys X0X

OKAY SO I ACCIDENTALLY LIED

I AM STILL TRYING TO UPDATE THIS

BUT IT'S GONNA BE A BIT LONGER

BECAUSE I FINALLY GOT A NEW JOB

SO I HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT

BUT ONCE I'M SETTLED IN

I WILL TRY VERY VERY HARD

TO UPDATE THIS

BECAUSE I WANT TO FINISH IT

AND YOU GUYS HAVE LEFT ME VERY NICE REVIEWS

I AM SO SORRY ABOUT THE DELAY

AND THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING PATIENT

;ASDLKFJ

(send me love while you wait and it will probably help me get motivated to update faster. Just sayin')


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